Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-24

army.
Mostof her audience appeared to accept
this argument as conclusive, but some
mischievous spirit put into the breast of
the saturnine Carolus to contradict her,
Notwithstanding the lesson he had just
had.
''That is not so, my aunt; there are
many id Englishmen still sneaking
about the Mex, and also ut Pretoria and
Wakkerstroom."
II tell you it is a lie" said the old lady,
raising her voice, ''they are only Kafirs
and camp followers. There were three
thusand men in the British army, and now
they are all killed except that rooibaatje,
How dare you contradict your future
mother-in-law, you dirty, squint-eyed.
ye'low-face6 monkey! There, take that!'
and before the unfortunate Carolus knew
where he was, he received the slop-basin
with its contents full in the face. The
bowl broke upon the bridge of his nose,
and the coffee flew all over him, into his
eyes and hair, down his throat and over
his body, making such a spectacle of him
as must have been seen 10 be appreciated.
All" went on the old lady, much
soOthed and gratified by the eminent and
startling success of her shot, never y0u
tell NE again | don't know how to throw
4 basin of coffee. / haven't practised at
my man Hans for thirty years for nothing,
| eau tell you. Now you Carolus, | have
Taught YOU not To contradict; 90 and wash
your face and we will have supper"
Carolus ventured 10 reply, and was led
away by his betrOthed half blinded and
utterly subdued, while her sister set the
table for the evening meal. When it was
ready the men sat down TO meat and the
women waited on them. John was not
asked to sit down, hut II of the girls
threw him a boiled mealiecoh, for which,
being still very hungry, he was duly CRATE
lul, ami afterwards he managed TO get a
~mutton-bone and another bit of bread.
When supper WIS over, some bottles Of
peach brandy were produced, and the men
began to drink freely, and then it was that
matters commenced to get dangerous for
John Suddenly one of the men remem.
bered about the young fellow whom he had
thrown backwards off the horse, and who
was lying very sick in the next room, aud
suggested that measures OF retaliation
should be taken, which would undoubtedly
have been done had not the elderly Beer
who had commanded the party ~interposed.
This man was getting drunk like the
others, but fortunately for John he got
amiablg drunk.
LET him alone" he said 'let him
alone. We will send him 10 the comman-
dant tomorrow. Frank Muller will know
how to deal with him"
John thought TO himselfthat he certainly
would.
'NOw, for myself" the man went Oh
with a hiccougb, 81 bear no malice. We
have thrashed the British and they have
given up the country, 50 let bygones he
bygones, | say. Almighty, yes! am not
proud, net |. If an Englishman takes off
his hat to me | shall acknowledge it."
This STAYED the fellows of for a while,
but presently johns protector went away,
and then the Others began to get playful.
They got their rifles and amused them
selves with levelling them ut him, aud
making sham bets rs to where they would
hit him. John, seeing the emergency,
backed his chair We'll into the corner Of the
wall and drew his revolver, which fortu.
nately for himself he still had.
'If any man intertereS with me, by God,
I'll shoot him. he said, i'll good English,
which they did not fail to understand.
Undoubtedly rs the evening went On it
was only the possession of this revolver
and his evident determination 10 use it
that saved his life.
At last Things got very bad indeed, so
bad that lie found it absolutely necessary
to keep his eyes continually fixed, now on
one and now on another, to prevent their
putting a bullet through him unawares.
lie had twice appealed to the old woman,
but she sat in her big chair with a sweet
smile upon her fat face and refused 10 in
~terirre. 1t is not every day that one gets
the chance Of seeing 4 real live English
rCoibaatje baited like an ant hear on the
flat.
Presently, Just as John in desperation
was making up his mind to begin shooting
right and left, and take his chance Of cut
ting his way out, the slturnine ClrOlus,
whose temper had never recovered the
bowl of coffee, and who was besides very
drunk, rushed forward with an oath and
dealt Il tremendous blow ut him with the
butt end of his rifle. John lodged the
blow, which fell upon the hack of the
chair and smashed it to bits, and in an-
other second CarOluS's gentle soul would
have departed to better sphere, had not
the old woman, seeing that matters were
getting beyond a joke, came waddling
down the room with marvellous activity
and thrown herself between them,
NNvu.r., tl.,. ~ .l, a., ,,,D,r.. ,s.lt
and lett with her fat fists, ''be of with
you, every one. | can't have this noise
going OH here. Come, OIL you all 20, and
get the horses into the stable; they will be
right away by morning il you trust them
to the katlirs."
Carolus collapsed, and the other men,
too, hesitated and drew back, whereupOn,
following up her advantage, the woman,
To Johns establishment and relief, literally
bundled the whole tribe of them u of
the front door.
Now then, rooibaatic," said the old
lady, hriskly, when they had gone, 81 like
you because you are a brave man, aud
were not afraid when they mobbed yOu.
Also, | don't want TO have n mess made
upon my floor here, or any noise or shoot
ing. If those men come back and find you
here they will first get rather drunken and
then kill you, SO you had better he OF
while You get the chance, " and she pointed
To the door.
Il really am much obliged TO you, my
aunt" said John, utterly aStonished to
find that she possessed n heart at all, and
had more or less been playing a part all
the evening.
'Oh, as 10 that" she said dryly, at
would he a great pity to kill the last Eng
lish roOibaaije in the whole British army;
they ought to keep You as a curiosity.
Here, take n tot of brady before you 90,
it is a wet night, and sometimes when you
are clear of the fTansvaal and remember
this business, remember, too, that you
owe your life TO Tanta Coetzee. But |
would not have saved you, not I, ii you
had no been 80 plucky. like a Inau to
be a man, and not like that miserable
monkey Carolus. There, be on"
John poured out and gulped down half
a tumherful OF the brandy, aud in another
moment WAS outside the house and had
slipped OF into the night. 1t was very